Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has detained 258 foreign nationals accused of running an illegal call centre linked to an alleged fake investment scam in Islamabad’s Gulberg Greens area.
The detainees include 184 Vietnamese nationals, 41 Chinese nationals, 32 Indonesians and one Malaysian. Most of them reportedly entered Pakistan on tourist or visitor visas and were allegedly operating from Sparco Plaza.
Several suspects allegedly posed as women on mobile applications and online platforms to approach Pakistani citizens. They reportedly built trust before promoting fraudulent business and investment schemes promising unusually high returns. After receiving money, the suspects allegedly stopped responding to victims.
The FIA said investigators found a large call-centre-style setup at the premises. The detained foreigners are being held at a temporary facility in Rawalpindi, while their respective embassies have been informed.
The FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle has registered an FIR under Section 14 of Pakistan’s Foreigners Act, 1946, following the August 11 raid.
